1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a driver's seat for a vehicle, in particular to a driver's seat for an industrial truck.
2. Background Information
The driver's seat of an industrial truck is generally located in an open or closed driver's cab. The cab comprises, in addition to the driver's seat, a number of control elements such as a steering wheel, various switches, levers and foot pedals.
During the operation of industrial trucks, situations frequently occur in which the driver's view is directed sideways or toward the rear, sometimes for an extended period. On forklift trucks, it is often necessary to travel backward for long distances, in particular when transporting large loads which obstruct the driver's view.
On large trucks which have relatively large cabs, the known driver's seat can be made to swivel around a vertical axis. At least some of the control elements are thereby moved along with the driver's seat, or are available in more than one location. Thus the driver can assume the desired seated position at any time and still have access to the control elements. In this manner, the driver is able to assume an ergonomically favorable body position even when the vehicle is traveling in reverse.
On smaller trucks, the amount of free space available inside the driver's cab is frequently not sufficient to place the driver's seat in an ergonomically efficient position, and to simultaneously make possible a swivelling of the driver's seat and control elements. The object of this invention is to make available an ergonomically favorable driver's seat which minimizes the space occupied by the driver's seat and the driver.